Topeka ? With the weather clear and the view unobstructed Monday, Gov. Bill Graves and other supporters dedicated the statue now atop the Capitol dome.

About 150 people attended the ceremony on the Capitol grounds for “Ad Astra,” which is more than 22 feet tall and weighs about 4,100 pounds. The statue has been in place permanently since Oct. 10.

For weeks, Graves withstood criticism of his decision to have the project go ahead despite the state’s budget problems.

“The critics have been drowned out by the beauty, by the majesty, by the power of ‘Ad Astra,'” Graves said.

The statue, by Salina sculptor Dick Bergen, depicts a Kansa warrior with his bow drawn, an arrow pointed toward the North Star. Its name comes from the state’s motto, “Ad Astra Per Aspera,” or “To the Stars through Difficulties.”

Until a decade ago, a 750-watt bulb topped the dome. The state then replaced it with a 250-watt high-pressure sodium bulb, which burned brighter and saved energy.

An 1889 plan called for a statue of Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture. But generations of legislators and state officials objected to the cost and the idea of honoring a pagan figure.

In 1988, Bergen won a contest sponsored by the Kansas Arts Commission, but concerns about the cost of reinforcing the dome stalled the project.

The project’s cost reached $1.6 million, which included the creation of a plaza on the southwest Capitol grounds. The state expects private donations to cover about $1.5 million.